Once it was considered science fiction. Now it is perceived as one of the most humane works of modern times, as a novel of piercing psychological strength, as a filigree development of the theme of love and responsibility. The changes in Charlie Gordon happen before our eyes, here and now. And in the end — it’s simple. Geniuses and idiots — two sides of the same coin. They have different IQs, their living conditions differ, but they are similar in one way — often both are endlessly lonely. And the price for the dream — to become smart — becomes too high. Charlie has a double — the mouse Algernon, only Charlie understands the behavior of the mouse and that he himself is assigned the same role of a laboratory mouse, no more. He is suffering, and the ending is predictable. The heart tightens, and tears flow... «I put a bouquet of daisies on his grave and cried for a long time». The novel has been adapted multiple times in different countries, in 1968 a film titled «Charlie» was made in the USA, and actor Cliff Robertson was awarded an «Oscar», in 2006 a film was made in France, in 2007 a play based on the same story was staged at the Alexandrinsky Theater, in 2015 a film was released in Japan, and the same year a play titled «The Effect of Charlie Gordon» was staged in «Such a Theater», directed by Igor Sergeev and Varya Svetlova. It leaves no one indifferent.
